Chapter 11.- Dreams, Memories and Explanations.
There was a deafening explosion and… for a moment no one could understand what was happening anymore.
There was a loud bang, and they all crashed into nearby trees and rocks painfully. Afterwards none of them could even move.
And as they laid there a woman arrived. Covered in a dark red, almost black, robe with a hood; just a faint glint could be seen, sure enough where her eyes were located. She entered the clearing silently and slowly, trying not to step over the pieces of snake that covered most of the ground.
And it was that by some strange reason the snake, Nagini, had exploded, and its remnants could be seen all around the place.
"A hard fight took place here." The woman murmured with a deep voice, she took a quick glance at the sorcerers and added. "One for which you weren't yet ready. But you will be."
The woman slowly walked to Naoko who, even when unconscious, never let go of the urn.
"You are a good guardian, and a good sprite." The woman murmured looking at the girl. "But even then your power hasn't fully awoken. Normally I would let it come out slowly and when you are ready; but right now none of us have that time. You need your full power and you need it now so…"
Just then the woman stood straight right before Naoko and extended her arms pointing to the sprite, white hands could be seen coming from beneath the crimson cloak. She cleared her throat and began making some slow movements with her hands, and then along with her movements went her voice, in a slow and smooth rhythm:
"Voices of the night,
Memories of a life past,
Powers hidden deep inside,
Come into my sight,
I need you, be here fast."
There was a scarlet aura that floated from the woman's figure to the urn in Naoko's hand, where a light-violet glow added to it, and then it all went inside Naoko.
"There." The woman said breathing deeply, apparently what she had just done had tired her out a bit. "This is all I can do for now. The rest will depend on you." She sighed. "But remember one thing: your main duty will always be to guard and aid those who chose you a life time ago, your Mistresses. We are here, we both are, and once my sister is awake, you shall again be the one and only Dryad."
The woman nodded her head in silence and walked from the clearing slowly, but right before she left the scene she seemed to stop right before one of the sorceresses.
"Awake soon, I'm waiting for you." The woman murmured. "My dear sister…"
.---.
Tomoyo opened her eyes slowly. As she concentrated she noticed she was not in physical pain anymore, but she felt really weak nonetheless.
"Tomoyo-hime?" a male voice asked hopefully from a side.
Tomoyo opened her eyes fully the moment she recognized the voice.
"E…Eriol-kun…" Tomoyo whispered.
She noticed her voice was barely audible, and it took her a great effort just to do that.
Don't exert yourself my love. Eriol mind-spoke to her. How are you?
Really tired… Tomoyo replied. I feel almost like the first time I used my powers as an Enchantress, when a mage attacked Sakura-chan.
Eriol knew about that, he had been told the year before. That had been some time after the cousins had discovered Tomoyo's ability copying other's powers. By then Sakura's powers where well known in the groups of those who used magic, and once in a while someone would try to steal her magic.
Flashback
It seemed a normal day for the cousins and best friends.
"Arigato Sakura-chan for doing this for me." Tomoyo said with a great smile.
Sakura had accepted to dress up and fake a battle using some of the Cards so Tomoyo could film her like she so liked.
"Anything for you Tomoyo-chan." Sakura said.
"Hai." Tomoyo nodded, she looked at her camera. "This will be another for the collection of Sakura's Adventures."
Sakura blushed in embarrassment. And when Tomoyo noticed that she couldn't help but laugh lightly. The lavender-eyed took the chance to raise her camera and film Sakura's expression when she noticed something from the corner of the lens.
"Sakura-chan Abunai!" Tomoyo cried out suddenly.
Sakura felt it just then, all the ill-will against her. Just in time she did a cartwheel to a side to dodge the sudden attack. Tomoyo threw herself to the floor and rolled away, loosing the camera in the process.
"Tomoyo-chan, get out 'a here!" Sakura ordered.
"Iie!" Tomoyo replied.
"I said leave!" Sakura insisted as she took her magical key out.
"Iie! I'm not leaving you Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo insisted stubbornly as she concentrated.
"Fine." Sakura summoned her staff and threw a couple of cards to Tomoyo immediately after. "Use this!"
"Shield." Tomoyo concentrated and copied the power of the first card to create a shield around herself, all the while holding the second card: "Float?"
Did Sakura truly expect her to use that power and leave her? Never.
"Who are you and what do you want here?" Sakura asked as she stood in battle stance before her attacker.
"I am no one of your interest." The man replied. "You need only to know that I will have your powers, Mistress of the Cards."
"So you know about my powers." Sakura noticed. "Then you should know too you aren't the first to try take my Cards away, and no one has managed thus far."
"I'm different from all the rest." The mage assured her. "I've defeated the most powerful wizards of every place where I've been. You're next."
"Too bad I'll have to break your good record." Sakura said sarcastically.
It seemed none of them wished that battle to last too long. As they both immediately used some of their more powerful attacks (something highly unusual with Sakura, as she normally preferred to try and harm her opponent as little as possible).
The battle went on for some minutes and Tomoyo noticed something:
"Why is Sakura's energy being drained, and not his?" she asked aloud, and a second later she got the answer: "He is draining her energy. Sakura-chan!"
"I know Tomoyo-chan…" Sakura murmured.
The mage laughed.
"I told you I would defeat you." The mage laughed at her.
Sakura was really tired; she hadn't yet finished recovering all the energy she had lost using the Cards for Tomoyo's film.
"I have to do something. She is getting drained too quickly." Tomoyo murmured. "And it is because she was already tired. Because…because of me."
The realization made her even more serious about the fact of doing something to help her dear friend before it were too late.
"I need a source of power to use my ability." Tomoyo murmured mad with herself. "As I normally use Sakura's Cards, I'm useless without them."
And just then she felt something different, as if a new power were surging through her veins; a power she had never felt before, the power of an enchantress:
"For divine aid I now call,
That gift that's been used for evil
It's been his too long
But now let it be gone."
There was a great magic that formed in Tomoyo's singsong voice, enveloped the mage, and left him unconscious.
Sakura was quite surprised at what had just happened. But before she had a chance to praise her friend's achievement she notice her collapsing too, she had fainted.
End of Flashback
Tomoyo remembered she had awoken almost a week later; Sakura had been really worried all along. It had been lucky her mother had been on a business trip and never found out what had happened.
For how long was I unconscious? Tomoyo suddenly asked.
Three days. Eriol informed her. Sakura-chan, and Shaoran-kun woke up the following morning; Hermione-san and I woke up later that same day; I can feel Harry-kun has just awoken, he was unconscious the same time as you.
What about Naoko-chan?
She is still unconscious. And none of us know the reason.
And even if Tomoyo didn't answer to this, Eriol could feel her concern.
"Now calm down, you must rest a bit longer." Eriol said, this time aloud. "Once you're completely recovered we'll talk about what happened. Ok?"
He didn't receive an answer, Tomoyo had just slipped into sleep again.
.---.
Dream-Vision-Memory
There was a wonderful mansion, it looked almost like a castle, and around it was a wonderful garden, trees and flowers of all different kinds adorned it in the most wonderful way. A young woman with light hair and brilliant eyes, dressed in a simple yellow kimono took care of each and every with great care and devotion; those who knew her had come to assure that she was like a flower with human figure, like some kind of nymph, or sprite.
Just as this young woman took care of some plants two others entered the gardens: they looked almost identical, with porcelain skin, dark loose long hair and brilliant eyes, dressed in elegant kimonos: one dark red, the other purple. They were walking next to each other, talking animatedly, an aura of joy and peace enveloping them.
After walking for some minutes they stopped right next to where the woman dressed in yellow was tending to some plants.
"Good day Mistresses." The young woman bowed deeply.
"It is a good day indeed." The woman in purple nodded.
"You tend to these plants with such care and devotion, I could almost swear you were one of them in a previous life." The woman in red said.
"Maybe I was my lady." The young one said. "The truth be said I've always felt so comfortable when surrounded by plants, like I belong between them."
"Maybe you do, dear Sprite." The woman in purple said.
"The powers we granted you when you were younger may be the ones calling you to the nature." The woman in red added. "As a Sprite the trees and flowers are now almost like a part of yourself."
"You gave me these wonderful powers…" with a swift movement of the young woman's hand suddenly there was a glow and several flowers sprouted from nearby vines. "I will never be able to thank you enough."
"You thank us enough taking care of our gardens the way you do." The one in purple said sweetly.
"And we know that is we ever shall go missing you will take our legacy to the next era." The one in red added with a seriousness that contrasted the one of her companion.
"You know I will always follow your wishes my ladies." The young woman said. "I'm forever your faithful servant…Lady Rose Midori…Lady Rose Tsubame…"
End of Dream-Vision-Memory
.---.
Hours later Tomoyo awoke again, Eriol got her something from the kitchens so she would eat, as she hadn't eaten since several days before. While she ate he took some time explaining to her she was in a special dorm. They had just discovered the Sorcerers' Room was like the Common Rooms of the Houses, and they were connected to several dorms, like the ones in which Tomoyo, Harry and Naoko were currently staying. And the one Sonomi stayed every time she came to Hogwarts.
"Hermione-san already got Harry-kun to eat. Sakura-chan and Shaoran-kun are trying to find something in any book or file that will explain what happened last night, but still nothing." Eriol went on giving explanations to her.
"I know what happened Eriol-kun." Tomoyo said seriously.
"Really?" Eriol was rather surprised at this. "How come?"
"Help me get to the Common Room, or somewhere when I can be with the rest and explain them all please." Tomoyo asked.
"Sure." Eriol nodded. "But first finish eating."
.---.
A young woman was walking through Hogwart's Grounds slowly, she had reached a part where almost no one passed by. And once there she turned her head upwards, from where she was she got perfect view from the small window-balcony that led to one of the dorms connected to the Sorcerers' Room, the one in which Naoko was currently sleeping in.
"Dryad…" the young woman whispered as she extended a hand upwards, as if trying to reach the balcony, and then her voice turned strong and firm as she added: "Wake up."
.---.
"Ah…"
A gasp was heard throughout the entire Sorcerers' Rooms.
Sakura and Shaoran immediately sprinted from their places between a tower of books to one of the dorms.
Tomoyo too could feel it, the strong force that had been shot inside one of the dorms, and she knew exactly whose. So, getting strength from who-knows-where she managed to exit her dorm and after tripping and almost falling more than once she reached the dorm where Sakura and Shaoran had just entered, with Eriol at her heals.
Harry and Hermione were the lasts to enter.
Naoko was sitting straight, trembling slightly.
"Naoko-chan!" Sakura cried out worriedly. "What is it?"
"What's happening to you?" Shaoran asked as he noticed his nervous state.
"I heard her voice." Naoko explained.
"Her voice?" Hermione asked confused.
"Whose voice?" Tomoyo asked, almost guessing the answer.
"The voice of my Mistress…" Naoko answered. "Of Rose Midori…"
.---.
Sakura, Shaoran, Eriol and Hermione registered Hogwart's castle and grounds, but there was no sign whatsoever of the sorceress Naoko assured she had felt.
"I didn't even feel her when Naoko says she did." Shaoran said as they finally decided to return to the Sorcerers's Room.
"I don't think I felt it in that moment either." Sakura said seriously. "But I don't believe Naoko-chan would lie about it."
"No one here believes Naoko-chan to be a liar Sakura-chan. I have to say I didn't feel any strong aura." Eriol admitted. "But somehow Tomoyo-hime did." He seemed to think about something before he added: "And now that I think about it, I did feel something, I can't assure you what kind of aura, kami I can't even assure you what it was what I felt. But there was something vaguely familiar about it."
Eriol's last comment just left his friends even more puzzled.
"What kind of person can emit an aura that you being some of the Supreme Sorcerers couldn't detect it?" Hermione asked doubtful.
Sakura just shrugged off, she didn't like the way Hermione seemed to be posing the situation.
"I don't know Hermione-san." Shaoran finally spoke. "And that's exactly what worries me."
.---.
About half an hour later they were all reunited in the Common Room of the Sorcerers' Quarters. Sonomi had joined them, and Dumbledore had managed to go too, they both too wished to know what had happened in that battle some days ago.
Thankfully, after they had all fallen unconscious Dumbledore and McGonagall had been the first to arrived, and were able to get the teens back to Hogwarts before the Aurors arrived, so they didn't have to give any explanations. But still, the Headmaster did wish for an explanation on what had left the sorcerers in such a bad state.
"According to Eriol-kun, Tomoyo-chan you know something of what happened in that battle." Sonomi said.
"Hai." Tomoyo nodded. "At first I didn't understand it either, but after a while it was evident. When that snake reached us, Harry says it was looking for the flower."
"You mentioned a rose." Hermione added in a low voice.
"I did?" this time Tomoyo did sound a bit confused. "Of that I know nothing."
"I do." Naoko stepped in. "That snake was looking for one of my Mistresses, one of the Roses. Somehow it believed one of them was between us."
"One of the Roses?" Shaoran asked. "Explain yourself."
"It's a bit difficult to explain." Naoko said. "I've been having some dreams since some time ago. Dreams were I visit a graveyard, and there are two marble tombstones, they have each a name engraved on it: Rose Tsubame and Rose Midori. I've been investigating, and there's very little information about them, just that they were sisters, almost-identical twins, sorceresses, they lived a very long time ago, and died in mysterious circumstances the books don't explain."
"But why do you call them your Mistresses?" Sakura asked.
"Ah, that's something I discovered just recently." Naoko explained. "I have a past life, in it I worked for these sisters. It was them who gave me the powers of Sprite I posses. Also they left the urn under my care, they called it their legacy."
"So you finally know to whom you shall give this urn of yours?" Harry asked.
"Hai." Naoko nodded. "It's to them. They too have reincarnated. And once they remember they shall come looking for me, to recover their legacy."
"Why do you call it a Legacy?" Sonomi asked.
"Of that I'm not sure." Naoko answered. "I can't remember exactly why."
"Well, so this snake was looking for one of these sisters, believing one of the gals was her." Shaoran summarized. "But exactly what happened to the snake?"
"I made it explode." Tomoyo answered.
"You? How?" This time Dumbledore was the one asking.
"You must remember that battle we had last year, after the ball." Tomoyo said. "How I had contact with Voldemort for a long period of time. I somehow copied his power to destroy with just the thought."
They all nodded remembering the incident (except the professor who knew nothing about it).
"So last night I was so stressed with the battle, and angry because we couldn't use our powers to the highest level and prove our enemy once and for all we aren't good persons to get in problems with." Tomoyo explained. "It was all too much, and the power came out."
They all nodded.
"Can you explain why I have this horrible headache still and I keep hearing this strange voices?" Harry asked suddenly.
"Strange voices?" Hermione was confused. What kind of voice could he be hearing? I don't understand.
"Nor do I Hermy." Harry said.
"Nani?" Sonomi was confused.
What just happened? Tomoyo asked mentally.
And before any of her friends could answer another voice seem to get in the middle.
If I knew I wouldn't be asking.
Harry-kun! They all cried out mentally at once.
"Hey, no need to yell at me." Harry said, this time aloud.
"What are you talking about Harry?" Dumbledore asked confused. "No one has spoken a single word."
"It's their mind-circle." Sonomi explained. "The telepathic bond that joins them all. Apparently Harry-san is part of it too now."
"Seems like it." Shaoran nodded.
"It must have been when I touched him." Tomoyo deduced. "With all the nervousness I had I didn't have enough care and accidentally got him in the circle."
"I don't believe it to be a bad thing Tomoyo." Hermione commented. "Now Harry won't be left out of our conversations."
"Now when we want to talk about something important when being surrounded by others we can all do it in our minds." Sakura added.
"You do have a point there." The rest nodded.
Suddenly they all noticed Eriol remained quiet, maybe too quite.
"Eriol-kun." Tomoyo turned to him. "Daijoubu?"
"Hai." Eriol answered. "I just need to get some fresh air."
And with that she got on his feet and left the room.
And even when he had answered Tomoyo's question with a yes she his girlfriend and knew him enough to know he was lying, and it pained her so to see he didn't trust her.
"Gomen ne, I think I'm still tired. I'll go get some sleep." Tomoyo too excused herself.
The rest where truly confused by the attitudes of those two.
"Does any of you have the slightest idea of what just happened?" Naoko asked, confused.
"Iie." Sakura shook her head. "But still I don't like it a single bit."
Gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen... It wasn't my intention to take this long to update, it's just that sometimes I forget in which day I live. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. I'll continue trying to update sonner. Oh, and I hope it was well understood the idea of the Two Roses, if there are any doubts leave your questions on the reviews and I'll try answering to you.
About the voting, it's been decided, Severus Snape will remain good, and Draco Malfoy...well, you'll find out.
Now what I would like you to grive a try at guessing is: Who are the Two Roses?
